The Rule of Three

FACT #1: No one is more excited for 2022 than our team here at DelMoSports.

FACT: #2 We are perfectly aware COVID still exists.

FACT #3: We are grinding every day to make 2022 our/your best year racing EVER.

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UNCERTAINTY #1: We can't guarantee the weather.

UNCERTAINTY #2: We can't predict the future.

UNCERTAINTY #3: We can't control YOU.

As we speak, Escape the Cape is sold out. The Atlantic City Triathlon and Tri the Wildwoods are trending to be at an all-time high, and Women's Philly is on its way back to a sell-out. This is good stuff, people. With so many peeps getting back into the game of triathlon, I thought it would be a great reminder… dare I say... a refresher... of how you can achieve your goals in 2022. I call this The RULE OF THREE.

Let's work on our first discipline: THE SWIM

In general, there are three types of athletes we encounter in the water:

1. Those who want to excel.
2. Those who want to have fun.
3. Those who barely make it or DNF (Do Not Finish).

If you want to excel in the water (I'm talking about top 10 in your age-group and exiting the water in warrior mode), you must swim AT LEAST THREE DAYS PER WEEK. Now, this is for the athlete who has taken up triathlon with no prior swimming background, and this is NOT easy to do. Swimming is the most inefficient thing a human can do, outside of going down YouTube rabbit holes watching fail videos. Some days you are going to focus on technique, other days you are going to focus on longer distances, but most certainly you are going to be uncomfortable MOST of the time for the simple reason you are sticking your face in the water while simultaneously gasping for breath. I'm guessing less than three-quarters of our athletes swim three times a week.

Let's just say you are here for a good time. I get it. For some, getting in a good work out and finishing in the middle of the pack is what it's all about. Post-race beers, good eats, and lots of laughs are the hallmark for most of our athletes. We love this athlete. They are the ones who exit the water and smile for the camera while telling me "Wasn't so tough!"  If this is your goal, getting to the pool twice per week is going to give you the confidence that you can pretty much swim any distance within reason and be comfortable. Truth be told, this is a great goal. It affords you the opportunity to stay healthy while also taking more liberties in other areas of your life. Remember, when you say YES to staying fit and healthy, you are saying NO to something else; these athletes genuinely enjoy life on every level.

The one-and-done crew can turn into whatever they want with consistency. Writing about this can get me into a bit of trouble. Oh well. Every swim I've ever been a part of has had some peeps who have simply NOT put in the work with enough time. Let me say that again. If you swim once per week you are going to need 3X THE AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET AS PROFICIENT AS THE PERSON WHO SWIMS 3X PER WEEK. It's just that simple. I do not suggest swimming once per week for any of our events for the simple reason that it's very difficult to become proficient in anything if you're only practicing for 30 minutes per week. Muscle memory needs repetition and the more you give, the more you get. Again, I'm not saying you can't do it this way; you're going to need a longer runway to get that plane off the ground.

I hope someone reads this and takes it to heart. I hope most people can be objective, look themselves in the mirror, and know what they need to do in order to achieve whatever goal they have set in front of them - whether it is physical, financial, or spiritual.

I'll leave you with this: You can get really, really good by focused practice 3x per week. Now imagine if you lived and breathed it. Every. Single. Day. That's a hell of a price to pay. That's us.

This year is on you. #dothework